The present invention relates to a skate with aligned wheels.
Conventional skates of this type are constituted by a usually U-shaped support, with its wings directed toward the ground. An item of footgear is associated above the U-shaped support.
These conventional skates have some drawbacks: first of all there is the problem of handling, both at the production level and at the storage level, because the items of footgear have different dimensions according to the sizes to be covered.
On one hand, this leads to the production of a limited number of sizes, which usually forces the user to purchase a size which is not suited to the specific dimensions of his foot. The user has to resort to contrivances, such as the use of a thick sock, to increase comfort while trying to occupy the excess space so as to transmit the efforts of the foot to the skate in an optimum manner.
Another problem resides in the fact that since conventional skates are made of multiple components which must be assembled together, they require several manufacturing steps, thus increasing the overall costs of the skate.
Furthermore, although some components are made of light weight plastic material, because of the number of wheels usually associated with the support, the skate has a considerable weight, and this creates trouble for the user during transport, which is usually done by storing the skates in adapted bags.
Of course, these bags cannot be always carried by the user during sports practice, so that once the skates are no longer being worn they must be held one in each hand, thus limiting other activities of the user.
Finally, mention is made of the technical problem that a brake is associated with said skates in a rearward position at the support; since said brake is subjected to considerable wear, its soft rubber part must be replaced often: this operation is not always easy, because usually this part is glued at an adapted frame which is rigidly coupled to the support.